Gay Prom Date Approved in Georgia

A high school in the small Georgia town of Cochran will allow a gay senior to take his boyfriend to the prom next month.

Derrick Martin, an 18-year-old honor student at Bleckley County High School, told The Telegraph of Macon that he expected his request to prove too controversial for the town of 5,200 residents, but school officials surprised him by approving it last week.

"You don't have the right to say no," principal Michelle Masters told The Telegraph. "As a principal, I don't judge him. I'm taught not to judge. I have to push my own beliefs to the background."

While Martin still worries about drawing unwelcome attention, principal Masters and superintendent Charlotte Pipkin have promised the prom will go on with Martin included, unlike the cancellation for Constance McMillen in Mississippi. McMillen, 18, is suing the Itawamba County school district in her state after it canceled the prom rather than let her attend with a girlfriend.

"Even if there is backlash, both educators said they won't cancel or change their plans for prom. It would not be fair to the students, Pipkin said," according to The Telegraph.